There we go, I decided to take pity on you and give you the next chapter earlier than I was going to. I'm sorry about that cliffy in the previous one but you have to admit they're fun, right? Gets the blood pumping, gets you excited for the next chapter plus it makes you guys review like crazy. (Just goes to show I like reviews even if they are angry threats)

Jack moved as quickly as he could down the narrow passageways, often tripping over the uneven floor, cursing at his ankle and leaning into the wall as he tried to clear his eyesight from the sticky gunk.

The creature was confused at Jack's reaction, curious at his strong determination to retrieve Sam, waiting for him to turn each corner before turning off into another hallway itself. Jack was always one turn away from them. Catching only glimpses of her limp body in its arms, its frightened screeches filling the halls.

He couldn't shoot at it, in case he hit Sam, he couldn't zat because he'd already hit them once and he couldn't get near enough to knife it because he kept going off course and stumbling, his leg refusing to coordinate with his thoughts. He was becoming more and more frustrated, he was a man who acted and he couldn't save her. He wasn't going to save her. He couldn't make it.

"NO!" he shouted in aggravation, answered only by its questioning screeches. "Let her go, please!" he knew it was pointless.

The creature stopped for the first time in their chase and looked at him carefully, intellect gleaming in his eyes. Did he see this because those eyes reminded Jack so terribly of another brilliant person or was there actually something there?

It dropped Sam to the ground by opening its vice-like jaws; she fell with a lifeless thump, blood oozing out of the teeth-marks. Was he too late?

"Do you understand me?" he tried. Jack edged towards the monster.

"Ssssstop!" it was hardly recognisable as a word, the fangs made it difficult to understand adding a hissing and a sort of gulp as it tried to form the word around its large tongue. "Mine!" it guzzled like a fish out of water.

Jack finally took note of his surroundings, they were back at the lake and he vaguely registered voices coming from far off on the surface. Could the SGC have come already? "She's not yours," he growled "You took her from me!"

"Mine!" it argued again like a petulant child. It looked confused like it wasn't confident it was doing the right thing anymore. It had always hunted for food, all its life had been about the next meal. Now new thoughts and feelings that weren't his clouded his brain, what were these strange creatures that had invaded its home? "Hungry!" it spat to reassure itself. "Prey!" it pointed at Sam.

"Jack?" Daniel's voice entered the cavern. Jack peered upwards through his reddening eyes at the distant ceiling.

"Daniel?" his voice cracked with relief. "Daniel, please! Sam is hurt!" he shouted.

"We're coming, Jack," Daniel's voice reciprocated the relief "We've found another way down. Hold on!" and he was gone.

The creature's eyes widened further at the sound of more of them and it started to become agitated.

"She's not prey," Jack addressed the creature. It jumped at Jack's voice and started wringing its hands, realising for the first time it had fingers.

"Not," it hissed "Prey?" its breathing was laboured as it started to become uncertain of itself. Jack dared to move closer to the confused creature. Its face started to change again, teeth shrinking, tail thinning and getting shorter to create a more human figure. It looked worried, had it done something wrong?

"No, she's not," Jack said. "Look at her,"

The creature turned its skinny neck a few degrees to regard Sam, her pale face and soft features, her golden hair. "Beautiful," it gulped with gentleness to its voice. It reached out a clammy hand to touch her cheek and trailed a line down Sam's face with its finger along her neck until it reached her shoulder. "Oh!" It gasped and brought its hand over its mouth in horror as it studied the damage it had done with its fangs. "I…"

"You did that to her," Jack spat angrily.

"No…" Emotions raged over its face and its eyes filled with tears as it looked at the bloody mess of Sam's shoulder.

"You killed her," Tears stung Jack's own eyes.

"No!" The creature sobbed through its ghastly teeth and tore its eyes away from Sam's body. "You!" it hissed "Did this!" it took another gasp of air "To me!"

"It sucks to have a conscience, don't it?" Jack said in mock sympathy. "You've probably killed her and you're gonna have to live with it for the rest of your pathetic little life!" he shouted venomously

"NO!" it screamed "Sshe's not dead! Sshe's not dead!" it started trying to pick Sam up and make her animated. "Sssee!" it spat. "Good! Alive!"

"Get away from her!" Jack yelled, not afraid of the blithering wreck of a creature and storming towards it. "Please, just go!"

It jumped in fear and backed away from the imposing figure. Tears pouring from its oversized eyes in uncontrolled sobs. "I…Sorry!" it screamed at Jack "I sorry!" it repeated over and over in shrieks.

"GO AWAY!" Jack shouted.

"AAAHHHHHHH!" it screamed "AHHHHH!"

"SHUT UP!"

"AHHHH!" it jumped into the water and flayed about throwing mud "I SORRY!"

"Stop!" Jack said fiercely.

It stopped and looked at Jack and the anger etched in his face and it cowered and shivered in the cold water. The creature made a sad sight, something broken and mutilated, tears streaming out of its eyes. As much as Jack hated the idea, the fact was that Jack pitied it. To have a sense of right and wrong thrust upon it now was unfair.

"She may not be dead," he said.

"Not. Dead?" it whispered.

"Stay over there," Jack said pointing to a few metres away by the wall. "I will call you when I know, got it?"

"I sorry," it whispered again.

"I know," Jack said still not brave enough to show some emotion for this creature. "Just," he sighed "Just…stay away from me for a bit,"

A twist!